Dance A Tango To Hell
by those-cheekbones
Summary: Joanne contemplating Mark's words after the Tango Maureen, and trying to decide where her relationship is going with Maureen. Oneshot. JoanneMaureen.


Well, this is my first RENT fanfiction. I've only recently begun to love the movie. I watched it a few months ago, and then when I got a bunch of money for my birthday I decided to buy it. I've lost count of the times I've watched it since then. I always thought that that moment after the Tango: Maureen, when Mark just smiles and shakes his head when he hears "pookie", would make Joanne realize what was really going to happen with her and Maureen's relationship. This is her contemplating Mark's words. It's rated T for some mild language. Please review, I would really appreciate it!

Disclaimer: The characters are, unfortunately, not mine. I wish they were.

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Joanne walked quickly down the street, her hands deep in her coat pockets as she made her way from the tall building that her office was located in. All she could think about was Maureen. That didn't surprise her; all she had been able to think about was her girlfriend ever since they started going out together, after Maureen dumped Mark. This time, though, it was different. Thanks to Mark, Joanne was hesitant to believe Maureen when she said that she was faithful. The only meeting she had ever had with Mark was ten minutes at the most, and already he had planted doubts in her head about Maureen. 

She arrived at her apartment and let herself in, dumping her coat and bag and going into the kitchen to make coffee. When it was finished she dropped onto the couch, letting the hot beverage warm her cold fingers.

There was one word that seemed to be branded into her mind. One silly, little word: pookie. When Mark brought it up she thought that he was just trying to make her paranoid as a sort of revenge for taking Maureen. Then there was the phone call, and Maureen had said it. He had heard it, and his lips curved up in a smile, and he shook his head in pity, as if to say, You're next, and believe me, it's a long way to fall.

She reached up and rubbed her temple with one hand, closing her eyes. What was she going to do with Maureen? Sure, she'd had her small doubts before this, even in the small amount of time they had been dating. The meeting with Mark this morning, though, had brought them all painfully to the surface. _Has she ever pouted her lips and called you 'pookie'? Have you ever doubted a kiss or two?_

Angrily Joanne took a long drink of coffee and then choked at the intense heat of it pouring down her throat. Then there were all the times when Joanne would leave her side for a moment and would turn around to see those beautiful red lips parted in a smile as she flirted with the person on the other side of her. Every once and a while, Maureen's eyes would meet Joanne's and the smile would suddenly seem mocking. As much as she tried to ignore them, Joanne knew those moments were too real.

The phone rang, jerking her out of her thoughts. The coffee mug fell from her hands and crashed onto the floor.

"Shit," Joanne whispered. She grabbed the phone on her way to grab a towel, balancing it on her shoulder. "Hello?"

"Hey, baby!" Maureen's cheerful voice came through the phone. As always, Joanne's doubts began to slip when she heard the familiar tones. "I was wondering if you wanted to go out for coffee before the protest."

"I don't know, Maureen," Joanne answered, her sudden smile slipping a bit as she looked at the stained rug. "I've got some cleaning to do."

"That's all you ever do, is clean," Maureen teased. "Come on, pookie, just drop it off at the dry cleaner's or something."

There it was again. That one word that was tearing Joanne apart. The smile completely vanished as she said, "No, Maureen. I'll see you tonight." Without waiting for a goodbye she hung up and set the phone down angrily on the table, dropping to her knees to pick up the pieces from the coffee mug. She set them onto the table just as someone knocked on her door. With a heavy sigh she got to her feet and walked over, pulling it open. Maureen stood there, leaning against the frame, her head tilted to one side.

"What if I can't wait until tonight?" she said, pouting her full lips. For a moment, Joanne had the urge to tell her to just fuck off, but then the pout spread into a tempting, teasing smile.

_When you're dancing her dance  
__You don't stand a chance  
__Her grip on romance makes you fall  
__So you think, Might as well  
__Dance a tango to hell  
__At least I'll have tangoed at all_

Joanne smiled and said, "Come on in."


End file.
